Our students' most valuable skill may simply be their ability to communicate effectively. The Language Arts department endeavors to provide students with:

exemplary written and verbal communication skills

practical research and critical thinking skills

an awareness of and respect for diverse ideas and concepts

strategies to analyze and understand a wide range of texts

tools to draft, edit, and revise and publish both printed and electronic texts

In addition to English 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8, we also offer accelerated classes, Read 180, and Advanced Placement English with Dual Enrollment.

To help promote literacy campus-wide, we implemented the Scholastic Reading Counts program. Students read a novel from a wide range of available books and then pass an online assessment.

English 1-6 students are required to take the AzMerit ELA test every spring. For more information about the assessments, data or graduation requirements, visit the Arizona Department of Education site.

Each year, students are expected to pass a district performance-based assessment. If you have any questions about these tests or other issues pertaining to your child's English class, please email or call us.
1-2: Explanatory essay
3-4: Argumentative essay
5-6: Problem/solution research essay
7-8: Problem/solution research essay